The National tribune., 1887-12-15
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE


THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
Devoted Entirely 10 the Consideration OF the Sur.
plus and Tariff.
The message which President Grover Cleve-
land sent TO both Houses OF Congress upon
their organization at the beginning Of this ses-
sion is unique among documents ola similar char
acter i'm being devoted entirely 10 one subject
and that subject the dagger from the accumula-
ton Of the surplus revenues in the Treasury and
the necessity Of some such reduction as viii
obviate that danger.
lie begins with generality about the theory
of our institutions guaranteeing TO every citi-
zen the iull enjoyment OF all the fruits Of his
industry and enterprise, aud goes on 10 eXpa-
tiate upon the wronglulness OF taking money
away from the citizen Tor which the Govern
ment has no use. lie says that this is wrong
in another way, in addtiOn-that is, that il is
locking mp in the vaults Of the Treasury the
money needed 10 prosecute the business of the
country, and such a course must inevitably
produce stringency and panic. He says:
On the 3Oth day OF June, 1855, the excess OF rev.
enues over public expenditures, after complying
with the annual requirements Of the sinkingf fund
act was 81, ,a59 1854; during the year ending June
30 lss6 such excess amounted 10 sac 405 20 and
during the year ending June 30, lss7 it reached the
sum Oi SEQ BOZ, ,SA9.5s.
lie then proceeds 70 discuss the expedients by
which this surplus may be returned TO the
people. There are no more bonds out which
eau be paid al the option Of the Government,
the per cents. having all been exhausted.
The remainderi is funded at and q per cents,
none OF which viii be due for some years, and
il is questionable whether the Secretary OF the
Treasury has the right TO enter the market
and buy bonds This, he GAINS, is danger
Gus authority 10 be entrusted TO any Official,
aud it is doubtful whether the law ever con-
templated il.
The proposal TO deposit the money held in
the Treasury in the banks throughout the
country for use by the people he thinks IS very
! objectionable in principle, as establishing too
close a relationship between the operations Of
| the Government Treasury aud the business OF
the country, and too extensive a commingling
Of their money. thus fostering an unnatural
reliance in private business upcn public funds"
Then he proceeds 10 what he considers the
root of the eyil-over- taxation. de does not IA
vor the abolition Of the tax on tobacco and spirit
uous and malt liquors, for the reason that none
of these things are, strictly speaking, necessa-
rles." There appears 10 be no Just complaint Of
this taxation by the consumer OF these articles,
and there seems tobe nothing so well able 10 bear
the burden without hardship 10 any portion Of
the people. lie then goes on 10 say:
But our present tariff laws. the vicious ineaui-
table and Illogical sources Of unnecessary taxation,
ought 10 bc at once revised and amended. These
laws, rs their primary and plain effects raise the
price TO consumers OF all articles imported and sub
lect 10 duiy, by precisely the paid for such
duties. Thus the amount OF the duly measures
the tax paid by those who purchase FOR these
imported articles. Many of these things how
ever, are raised or manufactured in own coun-
try, and the duties now levied upon foreign goods
and products are called protection 10 these home
manufactures because they render il possible for
those OF our people who are manufacturers TO
make these taxed articles and sell them for price
equal TO that demanded for the imported goods
that have paid customs duty.
~ hat fxt-laf
use the imported articles, millions of our people,
who never use and never any Of tho foreign
proenels purchase and use things oi the same kind
inhde ln ltls country, and pay therefor nearly or
quite the same enhanced price which the duty adds
10 ile Imported articles. Those " lao buy imports
pay the duty charged thereon into the public
Treasury, hut the great majority of our citizens
who buy domestic articles Of the same class, pay
sum at least equal TO this duty to the
home manufacturer.
He claims that he does not propose TO entirely
relieve the country OF this taxation. 1t must
be continued as a source Of income 10 the Gov
ernmeut, and the interests of American labor
should be considered in the readjustment of
the tariff; but he is sternly opposed TO the tariff
per Sc, and thinks there can be no justification
for scheme which permits a tax to be laid
upon every consumer in the Land for the bene-
ft Of our manufacturers.
he then enters upon an argument TO demon
strate that very few people in the country are
benefited by the tariff, while the large majority
who follow VOcati0ns such as carpentering
blacksmithing, millinery, tailoring, building.
and butchers, bakers etc, are injured by the
1 tarih IN SO lar rs they are compelled TO pay in
creased prices for what they consume without
having any proportiOnate advancement OF their
own wages.
Next he discusses the operations Of the tariff
on the farmer, and takes up wool as an illus
/ tration, rs follows:
The farmer aud the agrieulturist, who rnanufae-
ture nothing, but who pay the increased price
winch the ts.Ilh imposes upon every agricultural
implement upon ali he wears and upon al he uses
and owns, except the increase Of hs hocl1s aud
NERDS, and such things as his husbandry produces
from the soil, Is invited aid ia maintaining the
present situation; and lac IL told that a high dutv
on imported wool Is necessary ior the benefit Of
those who have sheep 10 shear. ia order that the
4 price oi their wool may be increased. They Of
course, are not reminded that the farmer who has
no sheep u by TINS scheme obliged, In his purchases
/ OF cOtlhng and wooden goods, 10 pay tribute 10
ms fellow farmer as well 10 the manufacturer
/ and merchant; nor is any mention made OF The
/ TACT that the sheep~Owners themselves and their
households must wear clothing and use other afi-
cies manufactured from the wool they sell at tariff
/ prices, ad thus as consumers must return their
share Oi lhls increased price to the tradesman
think II may be fairly assumed that a large pro-
portion OF tne sheep owned Toy farmers throughout
| the country are found in small hocks numbering
from p 10 %. The duty on the grade OF imported
wool which these sheep yield is 10 cents cacl,
/ pound " Of the value Of 80 cents or less and y
cents IL of the value Of more lhau % cents N the
/ fleece, tue duly thereon would be 60 or ~ cents
| aud this may be taken The utmost enhancement
OF ls price 10 tle farmer 10y reason Of this duty
/ Eighteen dollars would thus represent the Ia.
creased price OF the wool from Is sheen. and $50
that from The wool Of 90 sheep. aud at present IA
ues this addition would amount 10 about one hird
| of ats price IL upon lis sale the farmer receives
this or less tarh profit. The wool leaves his hands
charged with precisely that sum which in an il.
changes viii adhere 10 II until il reaches the con.
| sumer.
When manufactured into cloth and other goods
and material for use, its cost s not only increased
10 the extent Of The farmers tariff profit bat a
! further sum has been added for the benefit OF tie
/ manufactures under tie operation Of other tariff
laws. la the meantime the day arrives when the
FARMER hnds II nccessaIy 10 purchase wooden goods
I and material 70 ciotile himself aud family for tie
Winter. Mhen lac faces the tradesman for thai Dur.
pose lac discovers that lac IL obliged not only 20 re.
turn IA the way Of increased price the tariff profit
| on the wool lac sold. aud which then perhaus lies
before INN ln manufactured form but that hc fnu Il
add considerable sum thereto 20 meet furi her in.
crease la cost caused by tariff dHty ON the manu-
faciure. Thus ln the cud lac j. aroused 10 the faCt
thAl lie has pad upon a moderate purchase, as a
result oi The larin scheme, which when be sold his
wool seemed so profitable increase In price
more Than sufficient 10 sweep away all the tarifl
proht lac received upon the wool lac produced and
sold.
When the number Of farmers engaged fn wool.
raising ls compared with all the farmers Ia the
country ana the small proportion they bear 10 our
population ~ considered; when il is made npDar.
en that In the case of "a large part of those " ho
own sheep the benefit 81 the present tariff on wool
Is lllusory. and. above all, when IL must be con.
ceded tlst tie increase Of the cost of living caused
by such tariff becomes "a burden upon those "a IN
mglgFaLa and lae 4